Five Minutes
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: sequel to The Walk Alone. Amelia Pond has never trusted an adult, until the Wolf keeps her promise to return in five minutes.


Once again she was looking at a mirror.

Only this time it had nothing to do about seeing how she looked. Instead she was concentrating on the beaming little redheaded girl that sat in front of her in a little white nightie. The Wolf concentrated on brushing the girl's hair and braiding it, though occasionally her eyes glance up to see the girl's heart shape face, warm brown eyes and bright red hair, and then they would jump to look at the dark brunette with clear skin and dancing blue eyes.

For a moment, the Wolf was half convinced she was looking at her daughter MJ and probably Jack Harkness' long lost sister. But that was just an imaginative thought. Jack never mentioned any siblings so she wouldn't know if he had a sister, and even if he did who was to say she would look like the Wolf?

Amelia Pond was everything the Wolf had ever wanted in a companion. Smart, fast-thinking, independent and quick on her feet when it came to running. The TARDIS went into emergency shutdown after the Wolf gave her a quick flight through the vortex, five minutes after she healed the crack on Amelia's wall.

An alien shape shifter had escaped from a prison using Amelia's cracked wall. The Wolf had resolved it quickly, capturing the alien, making a call to the Prison using a sonicked video message mobile. Once she was done she turned to the little girl and offered her a chance to travel with her. Amelia had thrown her arms round her and hugged her so tightly that the Wolf thought she wouldn't be able to breathe. She was still dressed in her old clothes, too tight jeans and t-shirt that showed off a flat stomach. For the first time in a long time, the Wolf felt gorgeous.

When Amelia was packing her things – very little clothing, lots of photos of her dead parents and a teddy – her aunt had come home and the Wolf enjoyed lecturing the woman on leaving children alone at night. She then flashed a bit of psychic paper she found centuries ago and said she was from the Social Services, here to take Amelia to a better place. It scared the woman and hopefully, if such a stupid person was to breed, she learnt how to take better care of children.

Amelia and the Wolf then entered the TARDIS, hand in hand to find it had given itself an extreme makeover. The Console was made of twenty first century looking technology, a laptop for a monitor and to key in the codes for example, while the rest of the place had a girly theme to it. It was definitely a home for a woman and her female ward.

So now they sat in Amelia's new bedroom, brushing Amelia hair while chatting over little nonsensical things.

Once the Wolf had finished she put the hairbrush down at the dressing table and hugged Amelia from behind.

"You know what we should do now?" she asked.

"No, what?"

"We're in serious need to do some shopping. Both of us need new wardrobes"

Amelia grinned into the mirror.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDW

After shopping they decided to explore space. They ended up on a strange British ship that was looking for a new planet to inhabit. Amelia kept peering up at the Wolf from under her fringe; the young woman looked deadly and serious in her new outfit. She no longer looked funny like before.

"That little girl is crying" the Wolf said.

"Is she hurt?" Amelia asked worriedly.

"No...She's upset. But look at her; she's crying quietly so no one would notice and so no one will. There's something wrong"

"Is this what you do?" Amelia asked curiously. "Help sad girls?"

The Wolf grinned. "Well, I help everyone and everything. Stop the bad guys and do a lot of running. It can be dangerous but very fulfilling. I sometimes pick up companions, like you but its rare"

"Why me then? If it's rare for you to take someone?" Amelia asked nervously.

"Because you're Amelia Pond and that's rather special" the Wolf said dragging Amelia into a hug. Amelia breathed in the strange mix of time, wolf and chocolate as her cheek rested on the cool leather of the Wolf's jacket. "I'll check things out, you stay here for now and I'll be back in five minutes. I promise"

"I'll hold you to it" Amelia said as the Wolf stood up properly.

"Good girl" the Wolf said ruffling her hair before running off. Amelia stood there watching the tall sleek woman run with grace. She truly was like a wolf. A black wolf with those jeans, boots and knee length leather jacket.

She began to count the minutes.

She got to two when someone had snuck behind her and knocked her out.

When she woke up, the Wolf was holding her close as a woman in a red cloak apologised for her 'government actions'. Apparently in the time Amelia had been unconscious the Wolf had found the Queen, allowed a creature to be free even if it meant destroying all the people and punched a guard in the Tower of London.

"I don't care, she's a little girl and I'm supposed to be looking after her" the Wolf snarled. "You better watch your back Little Red Riding Hood or the Big Bad Wolf will destroy you" she then picked Amelia up as if she was a baby and marched off into the TARDIS. Head held up high and a grim look fixed on her face. Once they were inside the TARDIS she clung desperately to Amelia. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I will look after you, I will protect you no matter what, I promise"

"I know" Amelia said hugging back. "I trust you"

It was the first time in a long time she had ever said that to an adult. But to be fair the Wolf is no ordinary adult and is totally awesome.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Amelia chewed her lip anxiously as she tried to solve the algebra equation. She looked up at the Wolf who was marking her other schoolwork without hesitation. Amelia hoped she did well; she always wanted to impress the Wolf. Unfortunately maths was just not her strong point and she was having difficulty trying to get past question five.

The Wolf was a strict teacher. She was determined that they would spend at least two full days doing school work. At least until Amelia was eighteen. She spent two hours on each subject, one lecturing and questioning and the other some written work. Amelia had been taught the basic four subjects – sciences, maths, English and I.T and occasionally got a little of everything else. There were a couple tea breaks, toilet breaks and meals. But on these days Amelia studied until it was time to get ready for bed and when she was the Wolf would tell her a fascinating story.

It was better than school.

The Wolf looked up from her work and winked at her. Amelia quickly ducked her head down and tried to work out the answer to question five.

"Don't worry" the Wolf said, "I was never good at school either"

"But you're so smart!"

"Yes but I was a child as well. To be honest all my intelligence is just experience, I had to quickly learn this stuff to teach ten knowledge hungry kids a couple centuries back. I was almost expelled once for starting all sort of riots when I was in school so don't sweat. Just tell me what you're struggling on"

Amelia smiled shyly. "Question five" she said.

"I'll get you to answer it in five minutes" the Wolf promised.

In five minutes, Amelia finally understood algebra. And swore to never use it in her life ever again.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Happy Birthday!" the Wolf said waking Amelia up. "Come on sweetheart, you're twelve today, almost a woman. Lets celebrate"

"Noooooooo go away" Amelia moaned flapping a hand at the Wolf before turning round and snuggling deeper into her covers.

The Wolf laughed. "I can't believe I used to be like this" she said pushing some hair out of her face. She should really tie it up but for some reason she felt uncomfortable when her long dark hair was pulled up. It was like it should be free. "Come on babes, I have presents and balloons and everything for you. You can have anything you want for breakfast and we'll go anywhere you want as well. No school either"

Amelia cracked open an eye lid. "Cake for breakfast?" she asked mischievously.

"Why not? I'll do some hot chocolate too if you get up in five minutes" the Wolf jumped off the bed and ran out leaving an excited Amelia.

Amelia quickly got dressed knowing full well that when the Wolf says five minutes, she means five minutes. As she ran down the hall towards the kitchen, Amelia couldn't help remembering her first birthday with the Wolf. It surpassed all birthdays she ever had. They had chips for breakfast followed with the most amazing presents ever and then they went to Scotland during the sixteenth century and Amelia got to dance with the king. Admittedly he stank and the Court was not friendly but the feast was so worth it. Afterwards they stayed up till the early hours of the morning where Amelia fell asleep half way through a movie.

The moment Amelia entered the kitchen her eyes widened. There were brilliant green and silver balloons strung up everywhere with an italic a scrawled on them, on the table were several cakes, mostly chocolate but there were different types of muffins and a pineapple upside-down cake as well. There was also a small pile of presents wrapped in green and silver wrapping paper on a chair between the Wolf's and Amelia's usual seats. The Wolf was pouring out hot chocolate into green mugs.

"This is amazing" Amelia said. "You've outdone yourself again"

The Wolf laughed. "I always aim high, now sit down and let's stuff ourselves like pigs"

As usual the day went brilliantly and this time they went to see Macbeth's first ever showing before getting Shakespeare's autograph and leaving before Shakespeare could even attempt to put his hand down their dresses.

Amelia had once again fallen asleep against the Wolf's shoulder half way through a movie and woke up in her own bed with her new presents piled up on the bedside table.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Wolf sighed and rested her forehead against her fingers. "I'm out of practise for this. I never had the need to do this talk in centuries" she muttered as Amelia fidgeted on the sofa. "Ok sweetie, as I said there's nothing to worry about. When every girl reaches a certain age they begin to ovulate and at certain times of the month they bleed so they can clean the dead eggs out of their system. Got that?"

"Yes..." Amelia whispered.

"Unfortunately since you're a time traveller I can't predict when you have this time of the month. Everything is so back and forth, right and left and all over the place that there's a chance you'll end up with four periods a month. Painful but it happens, I suffered that once and trust me, the man I was travelling with almost died"

Amelia bit her lip. "But I don't want to bleed all the time"

"I know sweetie but I promise when it's that time of the month we won't run and stick around in here with lots of chocolate, yeah?" Amelia nodded. "It's embarrassing I know, but it's no worse than getting your first bra"

They both shuddered at the memory of the overbearing shop assistant who shouted things really loudly and began measuring Amelia in front of the whole shop. It was one of Amelia's worst memories ever.

"Now..." the Wold sighed. "The worst bit"

"There's more?!" Amelia squeaked horrified. She thought she had gotten through the worst bit with the blood.

"Amelia...when a man loves a woman..."

Two hours later the Wolf was guzzling down a bottle of vodka. She really had forgotten how humiliating the sex talk was and how horribly alike her mother she sounded when she gave that talk. Even now she can't shake off that embarrassing lecture Jackie Tyler gave to her, five times including after she met the Doctor!

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Amelia was fourteen years old when she requested to see her parents.

"No"

The Wolf's answer was flat, cold and absolute. It shattered Amelia's heart and infuriated her all at once. How could the Wolf be so heartless?

"Why not? They're my parents! They made me, raised me and loved me up until their deaths. Apart from a couple photos I don't have anything about them on me! My memories of them are fading and I just want to see them, hear their voice, that's all"

"I said no and I mean it" the Wolf said uncaringly as she switched the engines on a stand by. They were now in the vortex after escaping royal palace guards; apparently the emperor's son was not pleased that Amelia refused his proposal. "Now go clean yourself up and I'll make dinner"

Amelia crossed her arms. "Not until I see my parents" she said stubbornly. "I just want a peek, I won't do anything stupid"

"See that's the thing. All humans say I won't do anything stupid and then they immediately do something stupid" the Wolf growled nastily. "You're going to end up doing something Amelia, they're your parents. If you can save them you'd try"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"You'll change all of history and monsters come out to eat everything"

"I'm not a bloody child!" Amelia screamed. "You shouldn't make up stupid stories to scare me!"

"Who said they were stupid? I'm over seven hundred years old, I've seen this kind of crap and I know what I'm talking about"

"That doesn't give you the right to deny me my parents. You're not my bloody mother; you're just some random time traveller that picked me up"

The Wolf shut down completely. All anger and irritation that was in her eyes died and gave away to nothing. Her face paled more than usual and her hands went limp. "You're right" she said in an empty voice. "I'm not your mother but I did bring you up for a good few years. Strangely enough I thought that would make me your guardian not a random time traveller that picked you up"

"W-"

"Sort out dinner if you're hungry. I just suddenly lost my appetite"

The Wolf then left with a swish of her coat leaving Amelia in an empty and suddenly cold room.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Amelia drifted around the TARDIS silently for the next few days. At first she refused to apologise to the Wolf. Making up accusations and excuses. But after the third day of sitting in the kitchen by herself, lounging in the library while struggling to get through a maths textbook and having no one to say goodnight to her, finally took its toll on her. She was lonely, sad and wanted to apologise.

But she couldn't find the Wolf anywhere.

She searched high and low. The library, the bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen, the many bathrooms, the garden (which even though she's fourteen, totally loves the swings there), the swimming pool, the console room, the engines below. No where. She was no where.

Leaning against the wall and closing her eyes Amelia silently pleaded the gods above to let her find the Wolf. _Please! I just want to say I'm sorry!_

And suddenly a door appeared like magic.

"Thank you" she whispered before slowly making her way to the door. She opened it slowly and quietly and peered round. It was dark and the Wolf was curled up peacefully on the sofa with a TV on, the floor was covered in DVDs and albums and scattered photos that somehow made their way free.

"Come on walk to Mummy, walk to Mummy" a cockney accented voice said from the TV. Amelia turned to see a badly made video of a blonde woman holding her arms out to a red-haired toddler. "Come on MJ, Mummy knows you can do it. Show Daddy how to really run"

The toddler stumbled forwards hurriedly and into the blonde woman's arms. "Mama!" the baby gurgled.

"That's right" the blonde woman said cheerfully. "And who's that? Who's that?" she was pointing at the camera where muffled babbling could be heard.

"Dada!"

The camera went all weird, blurring as the cameraman moved. Amelia watched as a dark head moved round in front and kissed the baby on the forehead and then the woman on the lips.

"Being here with you. I love it"

"Me too" the blonde said smiling, tongue poking out of her mouth. "Love you more though"

"So do I, I'm wonderful me"

"Git!"

The video went off. The silence was deafening as Amelia barely dared to breathe. The Wolf was a mother once. She knew the blonde woman was the Wolf, once a couple years ago when the Wolf almost died, she had explained to Amelia how she wouldn't die like a normal person but just change bodies. So Amelia knew that woman was the Wolf.

She looked so happy.

Amelia hasn't seen the Wolf so content at all. There had been glimpses when she was teaching Amelia or having fun but there had never been a never-ending stream of happiness like there was in the video.

Amelia bent down and picked up a handful of pictures. One was of four people, the blonde woman – the Wolf – two elder people who were obviously her parents and a little boy. Her son maybe? Another was of the Wolf's wedding day with such a handsome man, the next two were shots of five children looking messy and hyper and the last one was of a small pixie looking child. All pale and short dark hair and really dark eyes.

"My family" the Wolf said quietly from behind. "All gone now"

Amelia jumped and squeaked slightly. "Wolf you scared me" she whispered clutching her heart. "I thought you were asleep"

"I don't need sleep like you humans" the Wolf shrugged. Amelia noticed that she wasn't wearing her leather jacket and her dark purple blouse looked tear stained and her black corset that she usually wore over the blouse was also missing. Hair all tangled up and eyes a little bloodshot, the Wolf looked a mess. "Just torturing myself with some old memories"

"I'm sorry...i really am...it's just I miss them so much" Amelia blurted out.

"I know" the Wolf said, "trust me I know better than anyone else on this universe. Once my Dad died, I went back to change it. Couldn't resist the temptation, it destroyed everything. He had to die so everyone else can live. So when my husband and children died I knew I couldn't go back. No matter what. It hurts like hell, I know"

"I never knew you were married" Amelia said sitting down on the floor before the Wolf.

"Sweetie, when you're as old as me you should have been married at least once or there is something really wrong with you" the Wolf said grinning weakly. "My husband was a wonderful man. Older and more wise than me back then but...well he was oblivious to anything emotional. Made his proposal one of the most awkward events in my life" she pulled out a silver chain from under her blouse, showing Amelia a key, a sapphire ring and a gold band with a strange circular design in the inside. "I keep him with me. I live on for him really"

"What about your children?"

"Oh they were so wonderfully bright. Had such potential to do everything, I loved them to bits. They all grew up and died peacefully, been married, had their own children and lived the fullest you ever could. I can never stop being proud of them"

"Could you ever be proud of me?" Amelia whispered, looking down at her hands.

"I would be proud to have you as my daughter. You are a brilliant person just by being Amelia Pond"

They never talked about the argument again. And they never talked about the Wolf's past again, the request Amelia put forward was ignored forever.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"So this is Paul Thomas...can he stay?" Amelia asked.

She was seventeen years old and just introduced her first ever boyfriend. The Wolf raised a critical eyebrow at Paul. A nervous looking bloke, wasn't ugly but wasn't the most gorgeous guy in the world. He had blonde hair cut in a military buzz and was a little too buff for the Wolf's liking. He was young, very young, no older than nineteen and he had been all right when they were trying to stop the military from committing genocide on an innocent alien race. Just wasn't completely helpful. Obviously the underdog in the military.

"I don't know" the Wolf said hesitatingly. "What happens when you break up? I can't be a taxi driver for all of your boyfriends, you know? And he looks a little edgy to me; do you think he can stand in the face of death and save thousands without shooting a gun?"

Paul promptly fainted. No definitely not up to anything, at least Adam waited until he was in a different time till he passed out. And he stared into a dalek's eyestalk and taunted it before hand.

Amelia looked a little disappointed. "I take it as a no" she mumbled as she bent down to drag Paul out.

"What do you think?" the Wolf said coolly. "When you get rid off him come back immediately, I need you sort you out some injections"

"Why?" Amelia asked.

"Contraceptives, STDs killers, something to just kill your sex drive. You know being overprotective guardian here who doesn't want her ward to lose their virginity and get pregnant or ill" the Wolf said calmly.

Amelia grimaced. It seems this was another memory to suppress very soon.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They ran down the corridor, jumping over debris left over from when the spaceship had been destroyed. The Wolf's hand was squeezing the life out of Amelia's. That had never happened before. Sure there had been times when the Wolf got possessive and protective of her, but she never showed her fear like this.

"What are they?" Amelia gasped as they whirled round a corner.

"The scum of the universe" the Wolf said bitterly. "They never bloody die"

"Can you kill a pepper pot?"

"Oh trust me, I've tried" the Wolf said gritting her teeth. "They're daleks; they have no feelings, no morals, no anything. They just kill, kill, kill, I thought my husband destroyed the last army but apparently some psychos escaped"

"What are we going to do?"

"Ex-ter-minate!"

"Duck!" the Wolf pushed Amelia to the ground as a green laser beam hit the wall opposite them. "We're gonna destroy them. I'm so glad I keep this on me all times" Amelia looked up horrified as the Wolf pulled out a bomb from her bottomless pockets.

"That's dangerous!"

"Eh, I passed bomb 101 before I turned thirty, trust me I know how to handle these" the Wolf said as they ran ahead of the dalek. She fiddled with some of the buttons and then threw it behind her shoulder. "Now RUN!"

The TARDIS was now in sight. For the Wolf that is, to Amelia it was just a broken door. The Wolf unlocked the door hurriedly and pushed Amelia in before diving in herself. The explosion shook the TARDIS and Amelia could see flames behind the Wolf.

They stood there quietly as the flames cleared up at there was nothing but space left.

"The only good policy with daleks is to kill. Don't think about it, don't hesitate, don't give them second chances. Just kill them before they kill you"

Amelia shuddered. She never heard the Wolf's voice so dead. Oh it's been flat, cold, empty, deadly, but never just dead.

The Wolf shut the door quietly. "I'll put the TARDIS into the vortex and then make some comfort food, yeah? We could watch a movie"

"I want to get changed first" Amelia muttered, "maybe have a bath too"

The Wolf nodded. "Five minutes?"

Amelia smiled weakly. She was twenty two years old and still held onto that childish fairy tale words. Five minutes was like a comfort blanket to her.

"Five minutes" she repeated.

Unknown to the two, a crack had begun to form in the space that the wrecked dalek ship once was.

**Author's note: please wait patiently for the sequel to this oneshot; Two Sides of the Same Coin it will star 11 and the real Amy Pond...and Rory of course! Also please review! **


End file.
